Death, one of the top three fears people face, the other two being public speaking and moving. Most of us fear death our own and/or the loss of our loved ones. We would all like to live a long life. My hope for each of you is that you are not only able to live a long life, but a healthy, faith-filled, and meaningful one!
From my experience one of the best ways to get there is to be free from our fears. What we pay attention to, we attract. This is true whether we pay attention to that which is negative or positive. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians can be a good jump start to help us let go of any fears we may have regarding death.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep… Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words” (see I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Each of us has different particulars regarding our fears of death, but one place to begin to look at is that death is not an end. Death does not have the final answer, as Paul shows us, Jesus does. Jesus conquered death and rose again. Those of us who die with Christ will rise with him!
The intimacy we all seek whether we are aware of it or not is to enter into deeper communion with God. As we develop a life of prayer, we will experience moments of deeper intimacy with Jesus, experience his peace, joy, and love. These experiences are wonderful! Yet even in those moments of closeness in this life, they do not last. They are fleeting, and although we can experience his love again and again, it is nothing compared to the intimacy we will experience with him in the next life.
No matter how long this life of ours lasts, it is just a blink of the eye compared to the eternity we will spend with him.
Thinking about death is not morbid. In doing so, we will realize that our life is fragile, and we really do have little control. This is not a Debbie-downer of a statement. By experiencing other’s and facing the reality of our own death, we begin to have a better appreciation for the life we have now. We become more aware that this life is temporary, that what we are doing here is preparing for the next, we can resist taking each moment for granted, and we can prioritize our time better.
May this be one of the many topics regarding our journeys that we can talk more about and revisit for many years to come. And each time you think about, and discuss death with those closest to you, may you experience more peace so that when the time does come, you will be ready with a heart and mind open for your next step in growing in a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus and all those who have gone before us who are waiting with open arms to welcome us home.
Photo: Love continues after death!
Spiritual Stepping Stones 